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Southwest Could Start LaGuardia Flights in 2009

Southwest has made a $7.5 million bid for 14 slots at LaGuardia, one of the assets of ATA, the carrier's former code share partner which is now in bankruptcy proceedings. If the deal is approved by an Indianapolis court, Southwest could start service to New York City by next year, with seven departures and seven arrivals a day.

Though Southwest is the only bidder, the company is still being cautious about the deal:

What today’s announcement means is that we have formally made a bid--which, if approved by the court, will enable Southwest Airlines to be able to expand with our own Red Bellied Birds into a market that we first developed via our ATA codeshare.

Now, again, guys--this isn’t a done deal. At this point it’s only a bid that would allow us to assume ATA's slots, so we’re not ready to talk about where we’ll fly and things like that. But Southwest service to New York’s LaGuardia airport is now a definite possibility.

The closest Southwest currently comes to NYC is Long Island MacArthur Airport, which is convenient for people in Suffolk County but not really a great option for city-dwellers.

Related Stories:
· Start Spreadin' the... Possibility? [Nuts about Southwest]
· Southwest to Buy ATA to Get Slots [DMN]
· Despite ATA Collapse, Southwest Still Wants to Fly You Abroad [Jaunted]

[Photo: ChicagoEye]